Imitation leather



Feb. 23, 1932,

F. C. CLOSE IMI TATION LEATHER Filed Feb. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1I 11 1 z g 1171? I)! 21727 n 1 12 11 p11 a d/ a I II .71 I]: I II II IIA fl' g ET 171? in! 1711 1 ZFZE II 11 1! INVENTOR 72rd C. (7056 ATTORNEYPatented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES- PATENT, OFFICE FORD c. CLOSE, onNEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNQR "r EOO ATIVE'DEVELOPMENT, me, or BROOKLYN, NEWYORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE IMITATION LEATHER Application filedFebruary 10, 1931. Serial No. 514,771.

The subject of this invention is a new article of manufacture,constituting an imi- I leather.

ticularly In order thoroughly to understand the present invention, andin order fairly to appreciate the scope thereof, it is advisable firstto define accurately certain expressions as employed herein.- When theterm leather is used, there is meant any reptile skin or the skin of anyair, land, water (e. g., goldfish), amphibious Or other creature of'theanimal world, in the condition commonly employed in industry for anypurpose, as a tanned or otherwise dressed skin even a pelt. When theterm skin is employed, there is meant the corresponding skin of anycreature of the animal world, before such skin is tanned or otherwisedressed. By the term reptile, is meant not only truereptiles but anycreature of the animal world the skin or leather of which carriesdistinctive markings thereon other than the grain or pore markings orsuperficial irregularities on the face thereof opposite to the fleshside.

The practical importance of the present invention will be somewhatappreciated when certain practical. considerations are here, at theoutset, pointed out. In the first place, reptile and othercharacteristically marked leathers are in most if not in all caseseither comparatively expensive per given unit of area, or lacking instrength or other desirable qualities in certain and arin marginalportions. T ese leathers. are often, for instance, covered with the mostfavored decorative markings in more or less limited zones, and/orprovided with their markings in distinctly dissimilar subdivisionsaccompanied by a relatively sharp, transition from one such subdivisionto another, these changes of design being at times so abrupt or sointerrupted by markingslacking finer detail as to interfere seriouslywith the most economical cutting up of the leather to adapt the piecesout there from for their intended uses. Again, these reptile leathers inpractically all cases have to be cut up into fairly small pieces (as toprovide vam and strap elements or other decorative a juncts in theladies shoe art, and in the handbag, wallet and other trades), and hencewith considerable wastage; arelatively serious cost item where genuinereptile leathers are utilized. Further, as to genuine reptile leathers,these, in a great many if not all cases, as where the skin is thatobtained from a comparatively elongate or attenuated creature such as asnake or from a creature of comparatively small dimensions as a lizard(to mention two types of reptile leathers carrying the most strikingnatural markings), are too small to permit of their practicableemployment in the wall covering, upholstery and allied arts.

It is one important object of the present invention to provide a newarticle of manufacture as hereinabove mentioned, to consti-- tute animitation leather which, while preferably of considerably less cost toproduce than the actual reptile leather imitated, will havesubstantially the same strength and durability. as the actual leatherimitated, will at the same time have decorative aspects substantiallyequivalent to if not more pleasing than the actual leather, and willfurther, and perhaps most important, exist in a larger leather sheetthan the original to facilitate subsequent cutting up of the imitationwith less wastage due to trailing oif of the markings or otherundesirable qualities of such original at the marginal or other portionsthereof than would be required were the original to be so cut up, andalso to open up for the first time a field of utilization for what isapparently a true reptile skin (in the uise of the new imitation-itselfactually a s eet of genuine leather) where large leather sheets arerequired, for example in the wallcovering, upholstery and allied artsaforesaid.

It is another important object of the pres- Ill cut invention to providea novel and valuable method of producing a new imitation leather; suchmethod involving the selecting of a polygonal area of a natural ororiginal reptile leather; providing by an suitable method, butpreferably photo-lit iography, a reproduction of such area; utilizingsuch reproduction or, rather, a plurality of such reproductions, whileproviding and/or disposing the same so'that certain thereof are replicasof said area and certain others thereof are reversals of such replicas,to make an all over pattern by arranging the replicas and reversals inedge to edge relation with the replicas and reversals alternating in aselected direction to provide sets of symmetrical markings recurring atintervals in a certain direction acrossthe pattern, each such set beingpartially made up of marking components adjacent an edge portion of areplica and partially made up of corresponding but reversely arrangedmarking components adjacent an edge portion of a contiguous reversal;and transferring said pattern or a reproduction thereof by any suitablemeans onto the surface of a. genuine leather sheet, as calfskin, largerthan the original, such transfer being preferably either by the aid oflithography (or other printing orduplicating method), or by the aid ofsuch method and decalcomania.

By the term replica as usedherein is not necessarily meant a truereplica, that is, one of perfect fidelity as to outline, color, shadingand the like of the individual markings to the original all over saidarea, as, for instance, obtainable by fine lithography. Since theinvention may conceivably be carried out by utilizing what may be termeda quasireplica, that is, one differing more or less, deliberately oraccidentally, in such outline and/or color and/or shading quality, fromthe original,-incidental, for instance, to employing the hand and eye ofan artist rather than aphotomechanical method to make a picturization ofsaid area,the term replica, as used herein, is embrasive not only of atrue replica but also of such a quasi-replica. -By the term reversal asused herein, is meant a true reproduction or a substantial reproductionof a repl ca as just defined, but with the markings of the replicareversed in order or arrangement, in one case, in one direction over thereversal, and, in another case, in both of two rectangularly orperpendicularly related directions thereover. A reversal according tothe first case, hereinafter called an edge-swing reversal, involves sucha reversing of the order and arrangement of the markings as wouldcorrespond, for instance,

to swinging the area about an edge thereof,

out of and then back into its own plane, to cause the area to face amirror, and then viewing said area as reflected in the mirror. Areversal according to the second case, hereinafter called a rotationalreversal, involves such a reversing of the order and arrangement of themarkings as would correspond, for instance, to viewing said area afterthe same has been rotated in its own plane through 180 degrees toredispose the area from its original or upright position to an unsidedown position. However, it is to be understood that by the term reversalis not necessarily meant such an absolutely faithfulreverse-reproduction of a replica as would actually be given by amirror; as a reversal may differ from a replica, just as has been aboveexplained such replica may differ from the area pictured thereby. Inother words, a reversal may be a quasi-reversal of a replica, and stillbe embraced by the term reversal as used herein. By the term similitudeas used herein, is meant e ther a replica (including as above aquasi-replica) or a reversal (including as above a quasi-reversal),whether the latter be, asabove, an edge-swing reversal or a rotationalreversal.

It will be appreciated that the polygonal area selected may be wellchosen with an eye single to the most striking or otherwise mostbeautiful natural markings of the entire original reptileileather; theexpense involved being only that required to have at hand a single suchoriginal. Also, it will be understood that with the selected areapolygonal, e. g., square, rectangularly oblong, triangular or hexagonal,a plurality of reproductions or substantial reproductions, that is,similitudes, of said area, may be arranged over a given surface, planeor non-uniplanar, without giving rise to the necessity for any clear ornon-marking-carrying surface portions, simply by arranging suchsimilitudes in one or more rows and with all the similitudes in edge toedge relation with similitudes contiguous thereto; which absence ofclear surface portions is an object of the invention as the latter ispreferably carried out.

The invention will be more clearly understood, and the foregoing andvarious other objects and advantages thereof will be more fullyappreciated, from the following description when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings illustrating, solely by way-of examplehowever, the new article as now preferred to be made, and alsoillustrating, likewise solely by example however, certain steps of thenew method as now preferred to be practised.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 indicates, by outline representation, say a photolithographicreproduction of a typical reptile leather as made from the skin of alizard; a selected area thereof being here shown, in broken lines, asmarked off into a rectangular oblong, for employment as a repeat unit ofthe intended pattern.

Fig. 2 is a composite view, showing in the upper part thereof the oblongjust referred to,

ISO

- marked off in broken lines in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the oblong in the upperpart thereof corresponding to the oblong indicated in broken lines inFig. 3, and the oblong in the lower part thereof constituting-arotational reversal thereof.

Fig. 5 illustrates a part of a pattern developed from employing the fouroblongs of Figs. 2 and 4 as cooperating repeat units, according to apreferred order of alternation.

Fig. 6 shows, fragmentarily, a leather sheet for carrying a patternpursuant to the invention, thereby to provide an imitation reptileleather pursuant to the invention, in this view, for purposes ofcontrast of dimensions, there being shown against said sheet-theoriginal reptile skin, outlined in dot and dash lines,

and the different repeat units of the pattern, the latter beingindicated as rectangular oblongs and in broken lines.

Fig. 7 is an attem t to illustrate, more or less exactly, in blac andwhite only, such markings as might be shown within such an oblong as isoutlined in Fig. 1 partially in broken lines and partially in dottedlines, where the original skin is that of a rajah lizard.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, any genuine reptileleather, say that of a rajah lizard. is procured,- and the same or adesired part of the same is reproduced or substantially reproduced, inany desired manner, as by the hand of an artist, or by a photomechanicalor other mechanical or partially mechanical method. In the present case,and in accordance with present preference, such reproduction may beassumed to be attained with the aid of photolithography, and the genuinereptile leather may be assumed to be thus reproduced in its entirety asindicated by the outline-representation 10 of said leather shown inFig. 1. Desirably, but not necessarily,,such reproduction or substantialreproduction is made to the same scale as the original; and alsodesirably, but not necessarily, it is made tofaithfully reproduce thenatural colorings and shadings lithography is employed). By asubstantial reproduction, is meant a reproduction of the characteristicmarkings of the original in such wise that the same are reproduced withabsolute fidelity to the originahfor example by photography or aphotomechanical process, or a reproduction of such markings in the sensethat certain typical ones thereof are more or less faithfully reproducedand others are arbitrarily interpolated or otherwise added, or areproduction of such markings in the sense that they areconventionalized to provide really a novel design as contradistinguishedfrom one copied from nature but always preferably in such manner thatthe reproduction or substantial reproduction is. suggestive at least, ofa particular natural leather 'of costly or rare type.

Assume, further, that the oblong marked off in broken .lines in Fig. 1,and given the reference numeral 11, is the particular selected,polygonal area which is to form a repeat unit of the pattern desired.Then the aforesaid reproduction or substantial reproduction need notnecessarily, as indicated in Fig. 1,"be coextensive or'substantiallycoextensive with the entire original, and, instead, may be merelycoextenslve or substantially coextensive with the polygonal areaslelleeted for said repeat unit, asthe oblong A suitable number ofduplicates or substantial duplicates (or replicas, as this last word hashereinabove been defined) of suchpolygonal area 11, are produced, many.desired or convenient manner; preferably. by some mechanical orphotomechanical method, for instance, photolithography', electrotyping,photogravure, heliotyping, etching,

autotypy, lithography, rotogravure, Woodcut or other printing. Amechanical method is preferred, for economy; and a photomechanic'almethod is preferred, the better for marking-matchings when laterestablishing the repeat pattern, in cases where such matchings aredesired to be particularly precise.

According to present preference, photolithography is employed, andsubstantially as follows, where technique which so far as been found byme to be ideal is followed: The actual original reptile skinor leather10, first suitably positioned to lie flat as by being spread out on aboard or other support, is photographed in its entirety (since theseleathers are generally of comparatively small sizes), once, or a numberof times through different color filters, thus to provide one or anumber of glass-plate negatives. accord ing as the similitudes (as thisword has hereinabove been defined) of the selected polygonal area, isdesired to be obtained in a. single color or'in multi-color. This orthese glass-plate negatives are thenemployed in coaction with light andchemistry, that is, with one or more differentlight-sensitiveemulsion-coated lithographic stones or lithcorrespondingto the broken lines 11 of Fig.

1, to define the selected polygonal area of each printing. By the aid ofthese indicia, the printings are cut in any suitable Way, to provide thedesired plurality of similitudes of said area, so that. when the patternis to.

be generated, certain of said similtitudes may be utilized as replicasand certain others thereof as reversals of said replicas.

In Fig. 2, one of such replicas is indicated at A, and a rotationalreversal thereof is indi cated at a; as will be seen by comparing thecorner numerals I, II, III, and IV,it being pointed out that thecriss-cross markings here delineated are merely arbitrary and areprlmarily shown to exhibit exaggeratedly d1iierent markings at each ofthe four corners I, II, III and IV of a replica or reversal.

A suitable number of swing-over reversals (as this term has hereinabovebeen defined) of replica A, are also provided in any desired orconvenient manner,-for instance, Where photolithography is being madeuse of to carry out the invention, as described in the second precedingparagraph. \rVhere photolithography is not being employed for this partof the method, it is at any rate preferred, for purposes of economy, toemploy some mechanical or photom'echanical process, for instance, one ofthose mentioned in the third preceding paragraph.

Where glass-plate or other equivalently transparent negatives areprovided, or a single such plate or equivalent is provided, to assist inproducing the desired number of similitudes A and a as aforesaid, theswingover reversals mentioned in the paragraph immediately preceding,oneof which is indicated at A in Fig. 4,may conveniently be obtained byutilizing said negative or negatives, but in swing-over reversal,relative to another, or another set of, emulsion-coated lithographicstones or lithographic plates, so that when this or these stone orstones, or plate or plates, aresemployed in a press, a swing-overreversal of the original reptile leather may be reproduced in itsentirety as indicated by the outline-representation 10' of Fig. 8,including a swing-over reversal of the selected polygonal area of suchleather, as indicated by the oblong marked oii' in broken lines in Fig.3 and given the reference numeral 11'. When the required number ofprintings have been run ofi the press, to provide the desired pluralityof swing-over reversals of the original leather as indicated at 10' inFig. 3, they may each be marked with corner points or bounding linescorresponding to the broken lines 11 to define the selected polygonalarea on each printing. By theaid of these indicia, the printings may becut to provide the desired pluralities of similitudes of said area, sothat, when the pattern is to be generated, certain of said similitudesmay be employed as replicas of the area indicated at 11 in Fig. 3 andcertain others as rotational reversals of said replicas.

One of the replicas last-mentioned (itself, it will be recalled, aswing-over reversal oi the replica A of Fig. 2) is, as aforesaid,indicated at A in Fig. 4, and in the lower part of Fig. 4 a rotationalreversal of the replica A is'indicated at a; as will be seen bycomparing the corner numerals I, II, III and IV.

A typical portion of the pattern preferably generated by the employmentin regular alternation of the similitudes A, A, a and a, is indicated inFig. 5; it being noted that ac cording to this preferred way ofgenerating such pattern, due to each fdur similitudes which anywheremeet on the pattern having their four interfitting corners all bear thesame numeral I, II, III or IV, an all-over pattern may be providedhaving no clear or non-marking-carrying spaces anywhere, and a pattern,moreover, wherein all similitudes exhibiting replicas of the selectedpolygonal area are alternated over the pattern with similitudesexhibiting reversals of such rcplicas, thereby to have sets ofsymmetrical markings arranged at intervals over the pattern, each setbeing partially made up of marking components adjacent an edge portionof say a replica A and partially made up of corresponding but reverselyarranged marking components adjacent an edge portion of a contiguousreversal A or a or (diagonally) a.

This pattern, assuming it to be the one selected, is made up by placingthe various similitudes A, A, a and (1, preferably in nicely adjustededge and corner matching relation, against a suitable support, as a fiatwooden backing, and anchoring them securely in such relation, as by theuse of glue, brads or the like.

The pattern-is generated to an area enough greater than that of theoriginal reptile leather, to provide such a continuous expanse of theselected markings regularly repeated there over that such expanse,assuming it to be the facing of a genuine leather sheet of suitablecharacter for cutting-up use, could be thus cut up with less wastage dueto trailing off of markings on, or other undesirable qualities of, theoriginal reptile leather, at the marginal or other portions of saidoriginal,-than would be required were the original to be so cut up. Theossibilities in this regard are indicated stri ingly in Fig. 6, -wherethe genuine leather sheet to which the reptile-leather pattern isimparted, is only fragmentarily shown, at 12; and where the patternrepeat units are marked Aa. One of these units is "specially marked A";this corresponding say to the replica A of Fig.2 and hence being thatarea of the original reptile leather of Fig. 1 indicated at '11 in Fig.1; and, consequently, said reptile leather of Fig. 1 appears in dotanddash lines at 10 in Fig. 6. It will be appreciated that this pattern,when transferred to the face of a genuine leather sheet of .a differentkind and hence of a larger area than the original reptile leather, whichlarger leather sheet may often be less expensive or stronger than theoriginal reptile leather, will provide a new article of manufacture ofextreme importance and practical value, not only in the footwear andother cutting-up trades but also in the wall-covering'and upholsteryand.al-'

lied arts, and in various other possible fields of usefulness. In thisconnection, further, it will be appreciated that the new leather.article of the present invention will often be provided as an imitationor coriventionalization of, or an otherwise apparently natural variantfrom, some of the most beautiful or valuable reptile leathers, to wit,those having more or less regularly recurring subdivisions characterizedrespectively by rather distinctlydifferent markings and sometimes evenhaving fairly fine and minute markings alternated with comparativelylarge and otherwise dissimilar markings; yet' also inall these cases,indeed particularly in all these cases, the new and largeractual-leather sheet of the present invention will typically alternatethereover different groups of markings in such manner as to have the newleather article constitute, really to all intents and pur poses, anactual and genuine reptile leather, which, while of extraordinary size,will have all the enduring beauty, flexibility, strength and longevityof the original.

What has just been said cannot perhaps be better emphasized than byreference, for example, to Fig. 7 which, it has been pointed out,represents a typical portion of a selected area 11 of the reptileleather of. Fig. 1 where such leather is made from the skin of the rajahlizard. It will be noted that said portion, marked 14 in Fig. 1 and .14in Fig. 3, has comparatively large markings at its right-hand side.smaller markings at its lefthand side, still smaller and finer markingsat its left-center zone, and markings so fine as to be almost dottingsat its right-center zone.

It follows, therefore, that an area 11 (representative of a polygonalarea of any shape or size) may with ordinary care and skill be selectedfrom any original reptile skin, what ever be the markings thereon, andthat, by the aid of said area and pursuant to the invention, a patternmay be generated and then transferred to and over a single sheet of sometrue leather obtainable in a larger size than the original reptile skin;thus finally to fabricate an imitation leather which, even to a leatherexpert, may be suggestive of nothing more than a true reptile leathermade from the skin of an abnormally over-sized'reptile. Especially willthis be so, where as is often the case the true reptile leather ischaracterized on its face opposite to the flesh side thereof withmarkings which are other than mere surface colorations and/or shadings,that is, which are linear or other depressions or elevations havingcertain relations to said colorations or shadings; and where, inaccordance with well-known methods of the embossing art, suchdepressions and elevations are reproduced over the new leather article;which embossing operation is recommended in con nection with a use ofthe present invention where the same isworked to imitate a true reptileleather itself embossed by nature.

The embossing of the new leather article, h0wever,whe n deemeddesirable,-is believed most practicably applied, after the pattern hasbeen transferred'to the larger leather sheet, that is, as the final stepin fabricating. the new article of manufacture; this to facilitatetransfer of the pattern to said leather'sheet, as hereinafter explained,when said leather sheet is in as fiat a condition as possible and hencenot yet embossed. In operating according to this preference in the caseof embossed leathers, care must be taken, on the other hand, to have thepattern which is transferred to the larger leather sheet adhere theretoall over with a high degree of tenacity, to insure that the subsequentembossing step will not distort, crack, locally loosen or otherwisedisturb the com-, plete and permanent cling of the pattern to the largerleather sheet. There will hereinafter he explained a preferredniode ofapplying the pattern to the larger leather sheet, which, in actual,practice, has been found to give the tenacious adherence necessary 'tomeet the requirements just noted. 7

The pattern, generated as aforesaid to an area of great enough expanseto correspond with the area of the larger leather sheet to receive. suchpattern (for instance, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 and as hereinabovede scribed), is transferred to said larger leather sheet, by anyavailable and practicable meth- 0d of transfer, but preferably by theaid of a printing or duplicating process. It will, in most cases, ofcourse be intended to fabricate a plurality and possibly avery greatplurality of the new leather sheets of the invention. from a singlepattern. Therefore, preferably, the printing or duplicating process justabove mentioned, will be employed. Also according to present preference,this printing or duplicating process is a photomechanical one, say oneof the photomechanical processes mentioned hereinabove by way of examplein connection with the descri tion of a preferred method of producinguplicates or substantial duplicates of the area 11 of Fig. 1.

Desirably, according to present preferonce, as an instrumentality toassist in making such transfer, photolithography may be employed; and insubstantially the same ways, for example, as hereinabove explained inconnection with the description of the preparation of stone or stonesgor plate or plates, by photolithography, and their use in a lithographicpress to produce said duplicates or substantial duplicates.

I have discovered that ordinary calfskin is an excellent leather foremployment as the leather sheet larger than the original reptile leatherand onto which the pattern of the invention is transferred; and calfskinis therefore recommended.

()ne satisfactory manner of making the transfer, that is, of reproducingthe pattern on the desired side of the calfskin or other leather sheetbeing utilized to receive said pattern pursuant to the invention, is toprint from a stone or plate of the kind last-mentioned, or from anyother printing surface provided in cases where some other duplicatingmethod than lithography or photolithography is deemed advisable,directly onto said leather sheet, or onto a film or the like previouslylaid over the face of said sheet which is to receive the pattern; thisfilm of a suitable material having the properties of high flexibility,high tenacity to the leather sheet, and high clingability to the patternreceived thereby. Such a film has been found desirable because of theporous or comparative spongy nature of a true leather sheet. I havefound that exceedingly satisfactory results are obtained when theteaching of U. S. Patent No. 1,609,500 to Terlinden is followed byapplying such film as a film or layer of a celluloid or nitrocelluloselacquer.

Another satisfactory method of making the transfer to said leathersheet, particularly where photolithography is employed for the transferto the leather, is to print from the aforesaid stone, plate or otherprinting surface (intaglio or cameo), not directly onto the leathersheet or onto a special film or other coating thereon as just described,but to provide a decalcomania or transfer picture, and then, eitherimmediately or later, to transfer such decalcomania to the leathersheet. -According to this working of the present invention, I have foundalso that exceedingly satisfactory results are obtained when that sideof the calfskin or other leather sheet which is to receive the transferpicture has been previously coated with a tion, as to materials,dimensions, capacities,

utilities and preferences, may have been herein indulged in, but it willbe understood that these statements are not in any way to be taken asdefinitive or limitative of the invention. That is to say, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language contained in the followingclaims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of theinvention herein described, and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

In other words, the scope of protection contemplated is to be takensolely from the appended claims, interpreted, in accordance with thedefinitions hereinabo've expressly or impliedly incorporated, as broadlyas is consistent with the prior art.

I claim:

1. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly chara teristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins,--which involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; employing photography to obtain a plurality ofsimilitudes of said area; arranging such similtitudes in edge to edgerelation to provide an all over pattern wherein a similitude exhibitinga replica of said area is alternated with a similitude exhibiting areversal of said replica, thereby to have sets of symmetrical markingsarranged at intervals in a certain direction across the pattern atmeeting edges 'of contiguous replicas; and employing photolithography toreproduce said pattern on a different leather than the original and overan area of said different leather greater than the original.

2. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involves providing an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; employing photography to obtain a plurality ofsimilitudesof said area; arranging such similitudes in edge to edgerelation to provide an all over pattern wherein a similitude exhibitinga replica of said area is alternated with a sir'nilitude exhibiting areversal of said replica, thereby to have sets of symmetrical markingsarranged at intervals in a certain direction across the pattern atmeeting. edges of contiguous replicas; and employing lithographytoreproduce said pattern on a different leather than the original and overan area of said different leather greater in both of two rectangularlyrelated directions than the area of the original.

3. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from otherleathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, whichinvolves providing an original; selecting a polygonal area thereofcarrying the desired markings; photographing said area and the markingsthereon to provide a negative thereof; employing said negative toprovide photolithographically a pair of positives one constituting areplica of said area and the other constituting a swingover reversal ofsaid replica; producing a plurality of each of such replicas andreversals; arranging said positives in edge to edge relation withreplicas and reversals alternating to provide an all over pattern havingsets of symmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a 5.6- lecteddirection across the same at meeting edges of contiguous replicas; andemploying photolithography to reproduce said pattern on a differentleather than the original and over an area of said diflerent leathergreater than the area of the original.

4. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesprovidin an original; selecting a polygonal area fiiereof carrying thedesired markings; employing photolithography to obtain a plurality ofsimilitudes of said area; arranging such sim-ilitudes in edge to edgerelation to provide an all over pattern wherein a similitude exhibitinga replica of said area is alternated with a similitude exhibiting areversal of said replica, thereby to have sets of symmetrical markingsarranged at intervals in a certain direction across the pattern atmeeting edges of contiguous replicas; and reproducing said pattern on adifferent leather than the original and over an area of said differentleather greater in area than the area of the original. 5. The method ofproducing imitations o leathers made ofreptile skins and similarlycharacteristically marked leathers from other leathers obtainable insheets larger than said reptile skins, which involves providinganoriginal; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying. the desiredmarkings;

employing photolithography to obtain a plurality of similitudes of saidarea; arranging 'such similitudes in edge to edge relation to leathersmade of reptile skins and similarly v characteristically marked leathersfrom other leathers obtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins,which involves providing an original; selecting a polygonal area thereofcarrying the desired markings; employing photolithography to obtain aplurality of similitudes of said area; arranging said simili tudes inedge to edge relation to provide an all over pattern wherein asimilitude exhibiting a replica of said area is alternated with asimilitude exhibiting a reversal of said replica, thereby to have setsof symmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a certain directionacross the pattern at meeting edges of contiguous replicas; forming on asuitable support a printing surface carrying said pattern; and employingsaid support as an instrument-ality to assist in transferring saidpattern onto a different leather than the original and one greater inarea than the original.

7. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; employing photolithography to obtain a plurality ofsimilitudes of said area; arranging such similitudes in edge to edgerelation to provide an all over pattern wherein a similitude exhibitinga replica of said area is alternated with a similitude exhibiting areversal of said area, thereby to have sets of symmetrical markingsarranged at intervals in a certain direction across the pattern atmeeting edges of contiguous replicas; and transferring a reproduction ofsaid pattern in toto and substantially simultaneously as to all patternparts, onto a difi'erent leather than th original and one greater inarea than the original.

8. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable'in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; utilizing said original as a guide to produce aplurality of similitudes of said area; arranging such similitudes inedge to edge relation to provide an all over pattern while a similitudeexhibiting a replica of saidarea is alternated with a similitudeexhibiting a reversal of said replica, thereby to have sets ofsymmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a certain direction acrossthe pattern at meeting edges of contiguous replicas; forming on asuitable support a printing surface carrying said pattern; and employingsaid support as an instrumentality to assist in transferring saidpattern onto a different leather than the original and one greater inarea than the original.

9. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which Involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; utilizing said original as a guide to produce aplurality of similitudes of said area; arranging such similitudes inedge to edge relation to provide an all over pattern wherein asimilitude exhibiting a replica of said area is alternated with asimilitude exhibiting a reversal of said replica, thereby to have setsof symmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a selected directionacross the pattern at meeting edges of contiguous replicas; andtransferring a similitude of said pattern onto a different leather thanthe original and one greater in area than the original, including thestep of employing chemistry and light as agents for recordingcharacteristic elements of said selected markings as repeated over saidpattern.

10. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; providing a first plurality of replicas of said areaand the markings thereof and a second plurality of reversals of saidreplicas; arranging such replicas and reversals in edge to edge relationwith replicas and reversals alternating to provide an all over patternhaving symmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a certain directionacross the pattern; pro viding a lithographic stone of larger area thansaid original; and transferring said pattern to said stone to provide aprinting surface thereon which carries said pattern and is of largerarea than said original.

11. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; providing a first plurality of replicas of said areaand the markings thereof and a second plurality of reversals of saidreplicas; arranging such replicas and reversals in edge to edge relationwith replicas and reversals alternating to provide an all overpatternhaving symmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a certain directionacross the pattern; providing a lithographic plate of larger area thansaid original; transferring said pattern to said plate to provide a.printing surface thereon which carries said pattern and is of largerarea than said original; and utilizing said plate as an instrumentalityfor assisting in the reproduction of said pattern on a differentleatherthan the original and over an area of said different leather greaterthan the area of the original.

12. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesproviding an original; selecting a polygonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; utilizing such area with the aid of photolithographyto produce a first plurality of replicas of said area and the markingsthereof and a second plurality of reversals of said replicas; arrangingsuch replicas and reversals in edge to edge relation with replicas andreversals alternating to provide an all over pattern having symmetricalmarkings arranged at intervals in a certain direction across thepattern; providing a printing plate of larger area than said original;and transferring said pattern to said plate to provide a printingsurfacethereon which carries said pattern and is of larger area thansaid original.

13. As a new article of manufacture, an imitation of the leatherproduced from an original skin, such leather having characteristicmarkings identifying the leather as a leather of said skin byresemblance of such markings to the natural markings of said skin;comprising a leather sheet of larger area than merely thatpart of saidskin commonly now available for shoe coverings and for other cutting uppurposes, said sheet carrying on one face thereof markings forming apattern including a plurality of polygonal repeat units arranged in edgeto edge relation to present a substantially continuous series ofmarkings across said face, each of such units carrying markingscharacteristic of the natural markings of a selected polygonal area ofsaid skin.

14. The new article of manufacture defined in claim 13, wherein certainof said units are replicas of said area and certain others of said unitsare reversals of said replicas, and said pattern is established byarranging said replicas and reversals in alternation in a selecteddirection across said pattern to provlde at intervals in a selecteddirection across the pattern sets of symmetrical markings each such setbeing partially made up 0 marking components adjacent an edge portion ofa replica and partially made up of corresponding but reversely arrangedmarking components adjacent an edge portion of a contiguous reversal.

15. The method of producing imitations of leathers made of reptile skinsand similarly characteristically marked leathers from other leathersobtainable in sheets larger than said reptile skins, which involvesproviding an original; selecting a pol gonal area thereof carrying thedesired markings; providing a first plurality of replicas of said areaand themarkings thereon and a second a plurality of reversals of saidreplicas; arranging such replicas and reversals in edge to edge relationwith replicas and reversals alternating to provide an all over patternhaving symmetrical markings arranged at intervals in a certain directionacross said pattern; providing a metal plate of larger area than saidoriginal; transferring said pattern to said plate'to provide a printingsurface thereon which carries said pattern and is of larger area thansaid original; and

utilizing said plate as an instrumentality for assisting in thereproduction of said pattern on a difierent leather than the originaland over an area of said difi'erent leather greater than the area of theoriginal.

16. The method of making imitation tanned reptilian skin which consistsin printing a photograviire upon one side of a relatively large piece ofsheet material throughout the area thereof, said photogravure being acomposite lithographic copy of a selected portion of the design ofnatural reptile skin.

17. The method of making tanned imitation reptile skin which consists inprinting upon one side of a complete tanned calfskin throughout the areathereof a photogravure that is a composite lithogra hic copy of thedesign of natural reptile skin, said printing being effected by means ofan intaglio stone photographically engravedby means of a compositepicture of natural reptile skin.

18. As a new article of manufacture a tanned calfskin having printedupon one side thereof throughout its area a photogravure copy of theesign of natural reptile skin, said calfskin being embossed to simulatethe con'figurationof said natural reptile skin. Y Si ed at Brookl in thecounty of Kin and g t ate of New ork, this 9th day of Fe Mary, A. D.1931..

FORD C. CLOSE.

